Betty Wilson

Summary

Podcast Summary: Snapped: Women Who Murder – "Betty Wilson" (Nov 30, 2025)

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Overview of the Episode

This gripping episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder dives into the chilling case of Betty Wilson, a nurse from Huntsville, Alabama, convicted in the 1992 bludgeoning and stabbing death of her husband, prominent ophthalmologist Jack Wilson. Through investigation, confessions, courtroom drama, and the dynamic between Betty and her twin sister Peggy, the episode explores how a high-society life unraveled into betrayal, conspiracy, and a sensational murder trial that continues to stir debate decades later.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Crime Scene and Initial Investigation

• Location & Discovery: Jack Wilson is found brutally beaten at the Wilsons’ mansion on Boulder Circle, in an exclusive neighborhood known as "Pill Hill" (03:03).
• 911 Call & Immediate Response: Betty Wilson calls 911, noticeably traumatised, after supposedly discovering her husband's body (03:17).
• Evidence at the Scene: Blood everywhere, clear signs of overkill, and the murder weapon—a 34-inch aluminum baseball bat (12:28).
  • "It's clear he's been beaten. He has a lot of wounds... Both arms were fractured." – Expert/Analyst (04:41)

2. Background: Jack and Betty Wilson

• Jack Wilson: Respected, kind ophthalmologist, often performed surgeries pro bono (05:30, 05:46).
• Betty Wilson: Nurse with a complicated past, fraternal twin of Peggy. Known for her outgoing personality but struggled with alcohol and the pressures of high-profile marriage (07:27, 11:01).
  • "Betty often drank just to get through." – Reporter/Interviewer (11:10)

3. Marriage, Money, and Motive

• Affluence & Lifestyle: The Wilsons enjoyed wealth—big house, cars, jewelry (10:37).
• Open Marriage & Tensions: Betty and Jack allegedly had a mutual agreement to allow affairs due to Jack’s medical condition (20:36).
  • "Betty and Jack mutually agreed to have an open marriage." – Expert/Analyst (20:36)
• Financial Motive: Jack’s estate was worth $6 million; Betty was sole beneficiary (34:14).
  • "She wanted it all and she wanted it now, and she didn't want it with Dr. Wilson." – Narrator (34:14)

4. The Whodunit—Investigative Breakthrough

• Tip-Off: An anonymous tip to Shelby County police claims James White was hired by someone named Peggy to kill a doctor in Huntsville (22:11, 24:10).
  • "This informant heard a man by the name of James White claiming that he had been hired to kill a Huntsville doctor." – Reporter/Interviewer (22:25)
• James White: Vietnam veteran with a troubled past, confesses after a prayer at the police station (25:34, 26:09).
  • "If you'll bring James and I something to eat and drink... And that's when he began to reveal his involvement." – Narrator (25:38)

5. The Alleged Murder Plot

• Peggy and Betty’s Roles: According to James, Peggy orchestrated and Betty financed the murder. Betty allegedly provided partial down-payment concealed in a library book (28:17, 33:24).
  • "She just stuck... $200 down in the library book." – Narrator (28:17)
  • "They find a library book... checked out to Betty... the book that James said she left partial payment for me." – Expert/Analyst (33:24)
• Murder Timeline: James waits in the Wilson home, ambushes Jack, uses the bat instead of the gun, and is later picked up by Betty (30:05–31:11).

6. Trial, Confessions, and Contradictions

• Arrests & Charges: Both twins arrested for conspiracy and capital murder (35:02).
• Betty’s Trial: Moved due to publicity; hinges on James White’s testimony and Betty’s reputation (37:10, 38:14).
  • "The crux of their case was James White's detailed confession..." – Expert/Analyst (37:10)
  • "All there was was circumstantial evidence... just putting witness after witness who disliked Betty." – Reporter/Interviewer (38:51)
• Peggy’s Trial: Unlike Betty, Peggy enjoys stellar reputation and community support, testifies in her own defense (41:05).
• Forensic Twist: Chief medical examiner suggests a fireplace poker could have been used, not just a bat, and that the murder site may have differed (42:06, 42:46).
  • "I could tell right from the start that something else other than a bat had caused these injuries." – Narrator (42:06)

7. Verdicts, Fallout, and Lingering Questions

• Betty is Convicted: Life without parole following damaging testimony and character attacks (39:41).
  • "She's then found guilty. She got life without parole." – Narrator (39:41)
• Peggy is Acquitted: Jury finds her not guilty after just two hours of deliberation (43:52).
  • "This time, this jury returns with a verdict of not guilty. She's acquitted." – Expert/Analyst (43:52)
• Public Confusion: Widespread feeling that both can't be both guilty and innocent (44:08).
  • "One is either walking around free and should not be, or one is sitting in prison and should be free herself. You can't have both." – Reporter/Interviewer (44:08)
• Aftermath: Betty denied two appeals, James White remains in prison, Peggy resumes her life (44:54).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It's clear he's been beaten. He has a lot of wounds. Both of his arms were fractured.” – Expert/Analyst (04:41)
• “They mutually agreed to have an open marriage.” – Expert/Analyst (14:03)
• "This informant heard a man by the name of James White claiming that he had been hired to kill a Huntsville doctor." – Reporter/Interviewer (22:25)
• "She just stuck... $200 down in the library book." – Narrator (28:17)
• "She wanted it all and she wanted it now, and she didn't want it with Dr. Wilson." – Narrator (34:14)
• "She's then found guilty. She got life without parole." – Narrator (39:41)
• "One is either walking around free and should not be, or one is sitting in prison and should be free herself. You can't have both." – Reporter/Interviewer (44:08)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Background of the Wilsons and Marriage: 05:14 – 12:02
• Discovery of the Crime: 03:03 – 04:41, 12:02 – 13:02
• Investigation Begins: 13:16 – 15:45
• James White & the Murder Plot: 22:01 – 33:34
• Trial and Public Reaction: 35:12 – 44:08
• Final Verdicts and Legacy: 44:23 – 44:54

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Conclusion: The Tragedy at the Heart of the Case

The episode concludes by focusing on the real cost: the loss of Dr. Jack Wilson, remembered as a compassionate physician and generous man, whose life ended amidst betrayal, greed, and a web of accusation and doubt. Betty remains imprisoned, Peggy acquitted, and James White’s parole denied—still leaving the question of justice unsettled in the minds of many.

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Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Lead Investigator]

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[Expert/Analyst]

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[Expert/Analyst]

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[Narrator]

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[Lead Investigator]

Before Snapped became one of the longest running true crime series in television history, launching a true crime phenomenon. One case started it all. A respected doctor and his alluring wife are living large in the heart of Dixie.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

They had money. The nice cars, the furs, the jewelry.

[Expert/Analyst]

This doctor's worth a little in excess of $6 million.

[Lead Investigator]

Until their home becomes the scene of unspeakable Horro.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Do you know if the person that hurt him is still inside? I don't know.

[Narrator]

I've got a friend.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

There was a bat next to him with blood all over it.

[Narrator]

That's called overkill.

[Lead Investigator]

Investigators are at a loss until a tip reveals a devious plot.

[Expert/Analyst]

This informant says, I heard this guy say he was going to murder a doctor in Huntsville. He wanted $5,000 for the hit.

[Lead Investigator]

Twin sisters get caught at the center of the investigation.

[Expert/Analyst]

They're fraternal twins. They're each other's best friend. She saw her sister in a predicament that was very unpleasant.

[Lead Investigator]

What would it take to make them snap?

[Reporter/Interviewer]

One is either walking around free and should not be, or one is sitting in prison and should be free herself. You can't have.

[Lead Investigator]

Boulder Circle is one of Huntsville, Alabama's most exclusive neighborhoods.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

This particular section of town they called Pill Hill because all the doctors were building houses.

[Expert/Analyst]

The homes are virtually mansions. It's the kind of thing you expect when you're rolling through someplace like, say, Bel Air or Beverly hills.

[Lead Investigator]

On Friday, May 22, 1992 at 9:30pm A rare 911 call comes in from the upscale neighborhood. 46 year old Betty Wilson is on the line.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

When Betty called 911, she was completely freaked out. Something terrible had happened. Listen, this is the police department.

[Expert/Analyst]

Talk to me, okay.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Were you in the house or did you walk in the house? Okay, you come home and you walk in the house and you saw this.

[Narrator]

Person laying on the floor.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Who is the person to use?

[Lead Investigator]

Betty says she thinks 55 year old Jack Wilson has been attacked.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

She says she saw Jack lying in a pool of blood. She freaked out and ran to a neighbor's house. Do you know if the person that hurt him is still inside?

[Lead Investigator]

I don't know.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I've got a friend. Okay, we've got an ambulance and we've got the police officer.

[Narrator]

I was on second shift that night and I was actually responding. I had responded to a call in the neighborhood, probably about six blocks from that house. So I responded quickly. I secured the whole house, the whole yard, everything.

[Lead Investigator]

Seeing no sign of an attacker, officers locate Jack inside.

[Narrator]

The landing at the top of the Stairwell is where Mr. Wilson was. He was laying on his back. There was blood all over the floor and then blood splatter on the wall.

[Expert/Analyst]

It's clear he's been beaten. He has a lot of wounds. Both of his arms were fractured. They're looking around for clues to exactly what happened in this space, in this hallway. Was someone waiting for him in the house? It's just really not clear. These are all things that detectives are going to try to put together as they move forward with their investigation.

[Lead Investigator]

Jack Ray Wilson was born in Chicago in 1937 and raised by adoptive parents. He grew up with poor eyesight, so as an adult, he focused on helping others who struggled with the same.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Jack Wilson was an ophthalmologist. Everybody loved Dr. Wilson because he was an eccentric character, funny, kind, and he often did surgeries for free.

[Expert/Analyst]

People talk non stop about what a great doctor he was, what a kind person he was.

[Lead Investigator]

Though he was beloved in his professional life, Jack's private life was more complicated.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

He married early and they had three children and they divorced. Jack Wilson's previous wife had custody of the children, but they had a great.

[Lead Investigator]

Relationship with their father, quietly healing from his broken heart. In 1976, Jack met an attractive young nurse named Betty.

[Expert/Analyst]

Jack and Betty met at a hospital. She has that sort of indescribable Southern charm that southern ladies oftentimes have, that honey accent, that sweet expression.

[Lead Investigator]

Betty woods was born in 1945 in Gadsden, Alabama, coming into the world alongside her twin sister, Pegg.

[Narrator]

Daddy was a detective, perhaps on the Gadsden police force, but he was in law enforcement. It seemed to be a normal family.

[Expert/Analyst]

They're fraternal twins, but they're each other's best friend.

[Lead Investigator]

In high school, differences began to emerge.

[Narrator]

Peggy was perceived as the debutante. She excelled. She was a homecoming queen. Betty was more average. But they always appeared to get along just fine.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Betty was always the quiet one and always the one in her sister's shadow.

[Lead Investigator]

In 1964, Betty married, but the relationship seemed doomed from the start.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Betty married her high school sweetheart, and they never really had terrible issues. They just married too young. They had children quickly and then divorced not very long after the kids were born. When Betty divorced her husband, Betty moved to Huntsville and got some odd jobs just to pay the bills. That is when Betty Wilson sort of came into her own. She shared the custody and had the kids when she could, but not like a full time mother.

[Expert/Analyst]

She was able to go on to.

[Lead Investigator]

College when she was able to move.

[Expert/Analyst]

To a bigger city where people tend to accept a little bit more women who are a little bit different.

[Lead Investigator]

Free from her unhappy marriage, Betty forged a new path.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Betty decided then that nursing is what she really wanted to do. Went back to nursing school, got her nursing degree. She was working in kidney dialysis at the hospital, is how she met Jack Wilson, and he instantly fell for her.

[Lead Investigator]

Back in Huntsville, Bet and Jack's romance developed at lightning speed.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

They literally had been on two dates before moving in together.

[Lead Investigator]

Two years into their relationship, the respected doctor, at 41 years old, found himself in need of medical care.

[Expert/Analyst]

Jack was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and he had to have surgery. And the surgery left him needing an ostomy bag.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Betty is a caretaker by nature. She wanted to take care of him, and she did take good care of him.

[Lead Investigator]

Not long after his surgery, Betty and Jack said, I do. In 1978, they were married, and she.

[Narrator]

Had acquired a whole new stature in that she no longer was just a nurse. She was a doctor's wife.

[Expert/Analyst]

I thought she had a wonderful life. And the man she was married to.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Was a wonderful man.

[Expert/Analyst]

She always seemed to be really happy.

[Lead Investigator]

Meanwhile, Peggy was also leading a wholesome married life. Just a few hours away from her sister in Vincent, Alabama.

[Expert/Analyst]

Peggy contributes to the community. She's a grammar school teacher. She is the wife of a preacher. She had a total of three kids. Even though they had a little different Window on the world. Betty and Peggy were still as close as they ever were.

[Lead Investigator]

Soon after Betty and Jack tied the knot, Jack's professional life started to flourish.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

It wasn't long before Jack made a lot of money. She quit working and became a full time doctor's wife. They had a big house, they had the nice cars, she had the furs, they had the jewel.

[Lead Investigator]

But behind closed doors, Betty struggled with the expectations of being the wife of a high profile doctor.

[Expert/Analyst]

I think in Betty's case, you know, she turned to alcohol because it offers this feeling of being disinhibited, of doing things that you normally wouldn't do.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

When she had to be put in social situations, Betty often drank just to get through.

[Expert/Analyst]

She couldn't stop drinking all the time, but she was draining herself into oblivion. Jack didn't like to be around her. Then at some point she realized that if she was going to maintain her relationship, she needed to stop drinking.

[Lead Investigator]

Eight years into their marriage, Jack supported his wife in her recovery, just as Betty had supported him.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Betty was very, very, very involved in AA when she quit drinking, she quit drinking. And with the alcohol gone, Betty did become Betty again.

[Lead Investigator]

But on May 22, Jack and Betty's charmed life takes a tragic turn when she finds him dead in their upscale home.

[Expert/Analyst]

When the detectives get to the scene, they're seeing Jack on the floor in a pool of blood and it's hard to discern individual wounds.

[Lead Investigator]

Investigators spot a disturbing clue near Jack's body.

[Expert/Analyst]

There's a 34 inch aluminum baseball bat near Jack's body on the floor.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

There was a bat next to him with blood all over it. It looked like Dr. Wilson was beaten to death with the baseball bat.

[Lead Investigator]

The bat is taken to be examined for prints. As technicians continue to process the scene, investigators speak with neighbors. A young boy reports seeing Dr. Wilson at 4:30pm about five hours before he was found dead.

[Narrator]

Dr. Wilson come in the house and got a baseball bat and he went outside and was out there driving up a sign in the yard and he had a baseball bat doing that. He then goes back into the house and he has the baseball bat still in his hand.

[Lead Investigator]

Witness statements lead investigators to believe Jack was killed between 4:30 and 9pm equipped with a narrowed time frame and a potential murder weapon, police start their investigation close to home.

[Narrator]

There was not one piece of evidence by itself to determine who was involved in this crime. Now our job is not to go out and find somebody guilty. Our job is to go out and find the truth.

[Lead Investigator]

Coming up, police dig into the Wilsons.

[Expert/Analyst]

Past now, I've heard all kinds of stuff around town.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

You know, people talk.

[Lead Investigator]

And unearth a twisted detail that reveals a slew of suspects.

[Expert/Analyst]

They mutually agreed to have an open marriage.

[Lead Investigator]

After finding her husband inside their lavish Huntsville home. Brutally beaten to death, Betty Wilson seeks refuge at a neighbor's While police arrive on scene. She's soon joined by her twin sister, Peggy.

[Expert/Analyst]

Peggy rushed as soon as she heard Jack was dead. She drives the two hours to get immediately to Betty's side.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

She was just traumatized by finding him the way she did.

[Expert/Analyst]

At this point, she was really not in any condition to answer questions.

[Lead Investigator]

At the crime scene, investigators look for evidence that could support the theory of a burglary gone wrong.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Everybody knew they had money. It looked like somebody was there to burglarize the home. And Dr. Wilson just happened to walk in on the burglar.

[Expert/Analyst]

His wallet is on the floor. It's open. There's no cash in it.

[Narrator]

This was a big home, and it had lots of valuable stuff in it.

[Lead Investigator]

A closer look shows that most of those valuable items are still there.

[Narrator]

There were several items left out. I mean, I've been to houses, several hundreds of houses that have been broken into and been ransacked, and this house happened.

[Lead Investigator]

Ruling out potential burglary, investigators must consider if it was personal.

[Narrator]

It was a very gruesome murder. He was bludgeoned to death, and he was also stabbed multiple times. It was obviously somebody who had or something against the person they killed because of the brutality.

[Lead Investigator]

Due to the lack of evidence at the scene and the brutal nature of the attack, investigators hope the autopsy will provide some much needed insight.

[Narrator]

There were multiple blunt force injuries. He was struck a great number of times over the almost the entire circumference of his head. And this was clearly more than would have been necessary to cause his death. That's called overkill.

[Lead Investigator]

The medical examiner reports that there are also two stab wounds to Jack's chest.

[Narrator]

Forensic examiner was not able to determine whether he died from the multiple blunt force trauma or from the stabs themselves, but probably died from a combination of the two. Now, overkill types of homicides are often seen in situations where there's some type of an intense emotional relationship between people who might have been emotionally attached or entangled with Dr. Wilson.

[Lead Investigator]

While waiting to interview Betty, investigators speak with those who knew the Wilsons. They learned that while Jack was adored amongst their social circle, Betty was a constant source of gossip.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

She was a very fun person, outgoing personality.

[Expert/Analyst]

Now, I've heard all kinds of stuff.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Around town, you know, of affairs and stuff like that.

[Expert/Analyst]

I was never aware of any of that going on.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

But, you know, people talk.

[Expert/Analyst]

Betty flaunted herself.

[Lead Investigator]

She didn't try to hide what she was.

[Expert/Analyst]

She went out, she had fun, she had affairs. I think reputation counts for a lot in a small town like that.

[Lead Investigator]

Investigators also learn that Betty had a unique method of landing her lovers.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

AA was a big, big part of Betty's life, and she had been sober for five years. She was very involved, attended meetings all of the time.

[Narrator]

In those meetings, she would pick up men and entertain them.

[Lead Investigator]

Armed with new information, detectives are ready to question Betty. Within 48 hours, she has calmed down enough for an interview.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Betty was asked to come in and make a formal statement to police about what she found.

[Expert/Analyst]

Betty is still clearly distraught, but she is cooperating.

[Lead Investigator]

Investigators start by having Betty walk them through the day of Jack's murder. Betty tells them she had spent the day preparing for an upcoming trip to New Mexico.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

They were leaving early the next morning, and they were both really excited about that trip. Betty had been to Parkway Place. While shopping, she bought these bright, flowery shoes. Police also saw those shoes that Betty had on. She had receipts and showed timestamps pretty much throughout the entire day. Her alibi was ironclad.

[Expert/Analyst]

And then, as is her custom, she goes to an AA meeting later in the day, and she doesn't arrive home until about 9:30. She goes into the house. When she got to the top of the stairs, this is when she sees her husband Jack on the floor.

[Lead Investigator]

Knowing rumors surround the Wilsons personal life, investigators begin to question her about their relationship. Betty explains that Jack's colostomy bag put an end to the couple's sex life.

[Narrator]

That interfered with their social life and also with their sexual relations.

[Lead Investigator]

Betty says Jack understood that she had to have her needs met elsewhere.

[Expert/Analyst]

Betty and Jack mutually agreed to have an open marriage. It just means that you are emotionally faithful to your significant other, but you can be physically unfaithful.

[Lead Investigator]

After detectives wrap up their interview with Betty, they start looking for any indication that Jack was angry or even aware of Betty's activities.

[Narrator]

There was no evidence of that. I'm aware of that Jack Wilson was upset with Betty or he was seeking a divorce.

[Lead Investigator]

Though there is no sign of tension, investigators are not able to confirm if Jack knew about Betty's other relationships.

[Narrator]

Knowing that there was a clear overkill aspect to Dr. Wilson's murder, it really made me question as to other people that Betty may have been romantically involved with that might have gotten angry and perhaps set out to kill him.

[Lead Investigator]

Despite the extensive list of Betty's flings, none raise investigators suspicions.

[Narrator]

We didn't pursue that. I certainly didn't want to ruin some innocent person's marriage or get involved in issues that really weren't related to the murder itself.

[Lead Investigator]

Then three days into the investigation, Huntsville authorities learn of a disturbing tip. There was an Anonymous tip.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Before Dr. Wilson was killed, we received.

[Narrator]

A call from Shelby county sheriff's department. Down there, they had an informant who contacted them and said there was going to be a murder here in Huntsville.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

This informant heard a man by the name of James White claiming that he had been hired to kill a Huntsville doctor.

[Expert/Analyst]

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[Lead Investigator]

We have a standard, and that standard is excellent.

[Narrator]

Below deck Med raises the anchor.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

These eight courses, delicious.

[Narrator]

There's drama.

[Expert/Analyst]

Go to the captain who's got the medical stuff.

[Narrator]

Max needs attention in Espana.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

You really don't want to mess with me.

[Narrator]

Under no circumstances can they get us go in the water.

[Expert/Analyst]

Doug.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I gotta let you go.

[Lead Investigator]

The new season of Below deck Mediterranean.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

You guys ready?

[Narrator]

Every Monday on Bravo and streaming on peacock. Bravo's 90210 Housewives are back. Hello, everyone. Buy it.

[Lead Investigator]

Buy it.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

This is so Beverly Hills.

[Lead Investigator]

And it's gonna be.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

When I saw him kissing that other woman. I don't know him.

[Narrator]

A Tinseltown.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Oh, my God, am I overdressed.

[Narrator]

Showdown.

[Lead Investigator]

People say you can't have it all.

[Expert/Analyst]

And I do.

[Lead Investigator]

Something's off with this.

[Narrator]

I can still go to the dark side.

[Lead Investigator]

Don't get it twisted. I'm not looking for trouble.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

But if she goes there, I will meet her there.

[Expert/Analyst]

The Real Housewives of Beverly hills. New season, December 4th on Bravo and Peacock.

[Lead Investigator]

Three days into the murder investigation of Dr. Jack Wilson, investigators have just learned of a remarkable tip.

[Expert/Analyst]

This informant contacts police and says, hey, listen, I heard this guy say he was going to murder a doctor in Huntsville. She doesn't know anything about this potential crime except she overheard someone say this.

[Lead Investigator]

The informant claimed James White had been hired by someone named Peggy. When the tip originally came in, authorities at the sheriff's department did not know what to do with it.

[Expert/Analyst]

They really can't do anything because there are lots of doctors in Huntsville, and they don't even know if this is real.

[Lead Investigator]

But now that Jack has been killed, the tip becomes top priority.

[Narrator]

We contacted back Shelby county, and then we got the name of who they said was a suspect down there, which was Peggy. Here we are. We got Betty Wilson up here. Her date of birth is the same as the sister in Shelby County. And that's how the connection began. At that time.

[Lead Investigator]

Uncertain of Peggy's involvement, investigators head south to James White's reported location, deciding to take their chances with the alleged hitman.

[Narrator]

First, we found him at a little restaurant down there and told him that we need to talk to him about the homicide. And then he voluntarily interviewed James.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

White was a Vietnam vet who had severe ptsd. He was also a known drug user felon. He had assorted past, to say the least.

[Lead Investigator]

For hours. James denies any involvement in the murder.

[Narrator]

Because they were getting nowhere. Finally, I called and asked the sheriff, I said, if you'll bring James and I something to eat and drink, I appreciate it. I tell James, I'm going to thank the Lord for my food. Before I eat it, I'm going to say a prayer. And James told me, he said, mickey, if you do that, would you please pray for me also? So I said prayer for us at the meal. And that's when he began to reveal his involvement in the case.

[Lead Investigator]

James says he met Peggy Lowe one year prior.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Peggy taught first grade in the town where James White lived. He was a carpenter, and she needed some cabinets built.

[Lead Investigator]

He says that he and Peggy became friends.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Peggy really felt sorry for him because of what she knew. Her own twin sister had gone through with addiction. He would call her and tell her that he was going to kill himself, and she would talk him off a ledge.

[Expert/Analyst]

He looks at Peggy as being helpful and kind, and he develops this crush on her.

[Narrator]

Peggy began befriending him. Then it eased into the point that I've got who's miserable, you know, her husband is sick, and just on and on and on, building up James to the point of thinking, you know, what can I do for this lady?

[Expert/Analyst]

Peggy told him that Betty's husband was abusive and, you know, and they wanted to have him killed.

[Lead Investigator]

So James says he offered to kill Jack Wilson.

[Expert/Analyst]

He wanted $5000 for the hit. He said he'd get $2500 up front and $2500 when he had completed the job. It was actually Peggy who hired him. He said it was Peggy who put together the whole plot. I think that twins and sisters feel a bond. And Peggy saw her sister in a predicament that was very unpleasant. And maybe she felt that the easier to get rid of the problem.

[Lead Investigator]

Then a month before the murder, he realized Betty was in on it, too. When Betty allegedly summoned James to Guntersville park to receive his down payment, well.

[Narrator]

Betty Wilson was there for this Alcoholics Anonymous conference that was going on.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Betty took up Children's book that just happened to be in her car. And she just stuck to, I think it was $200 down in the library book.

[Narrator]

Put some money in there, gives it to the guards. Just give this out to James White.

[Lead Investigator]

James tells investigators that it wasn't the $2,500 he'd asked for up front, but he agreed to go through with the crime with the understanding that he would be paid the rest after. Then, two days before the murder was to take place, he claims he met the twins at a remote location to receive the would be murder weapon. A.38 caliber revolver.

[Narrator]

Told us that Betty and Peggy brought it down to him. They met him at Lowy Martin Dam.

[Lead Investigator]

According to James, his final meeting was with Betty just hours before the murder was to take.

[Narrator]

He meets her at Parkway City Mall. When he meets her there, she's putting on a pair of shoes, and they were a floral type shoe. He described those shoes to the nth degree.

[Lead Investigator]

Investigators recognize the description.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

They indeed were the shoes that Betty had on the night she found her husband's body. He says that Betty picked him up in her car and that she drove him to her house.

[Lead Investigator]

James claims he'd left the gun behind, taking along some rope and a knife instead.

[Expert/Analyst]

James decided against using the gun because he thought it would make too much noise.

[Narrator]

She says, I'll be back at a certain time. So he then goes in and he waits there in the house. Dr. Wilson gets. He walks upstairs. Dr. Wilson, he has the baseball bat still in his hand from driving up a sign in the yard. And when he gets to the top flight of the stairs, him and James White meet face to face in the doorway. James attacks him, and Dr. Wilson is somewhat trying to defend himself. But Dr. Wilson was so small, James was able to overcome him. Took the baseball bat away from him and he beat him with it.

[Lead Investigator]

But James says he doesn't remember what happened next.

[Expert/Analyst]

He said he had something on the order of 16 to 18 beers and he's been doing drugs.

[Lead Investigator]

James says that before Betty called 911, then she made a quick trip back to pick him up.

[Narrator]

He then got into Betty's car and Betty drove him off and let him out somewhere where he had his truck.

[Lead Investigator]

Ten hours after the interrogation began, police book James White into Huntsville City Jail. But investigators know their work is far from over.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The story that he told first to police quickly changed into another. It's hard to believe anything the man says.

[Expert/Analyst]

James is a very shady character. In fiction, he's what you would call an unreliable narrator. You cannot Trust things that he says.

[Lead Investigator]

Coming up, detectives zero in on motive.

[Narrator]

She wanted it all and she wanted it now, and she didn't want it with Dr. Wilson.

[Lead Investigator]

And the real culprit is revealed, unleashing a media frenzy.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

It was like a circus, and everybody wanted a piece of this story.

[Lead Investigator]

Five days after Dr. Jack Wilson was murdered, alleged hitman James White is in custody, claiming he was hired by the victim's wife Betty, and her twin sister Peggy.

[Narrator]

James, he began to tell us the things that happened, and that was my job to go out and try to corroborate.

[Expert/Analyst]

Detectives follow up, of course, on everything. In James confession, they want to find the library book where the money was supposed to be transferred to him, if that's possible. They want to find a gun if they can, even though he didn't, and really use it in the crime. That would lend credibility to his story, certainly to his confession. So they go out to search his home.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The gun they did find, he had hidden it in the floorboards in his home.

[Expert/Analyst]

Also, they find the weapon is registered to Betty.

[Lead Investigator]

In James truck, they locate another important piece of evidence, and they find a.

[Expert/Analyst]

Library book, and it's checked out to Betty. And this is the book that James said she left partial payment for me.

[Narrator]

The book, the shoes. I mean, everything that he mentioned, his story just made sense. He got just dropped off to do the crime, and that's what he did.

[Lead Investigator]

There is still one question looming over the investigation. Why would the twins conspire to kill Jack?

[Expert/Analyst]

Who benefits? Detectives always follow the money. So when they start looking into Jack's financials, what they find out is that this doctor is worth a little in excess of $6 million in property and insurance. Sole beneficiary, his wife, Betty.

[Narrator]

Our theory was that Betty couldn't divorce Dr. Wilson because if it were proven that she were having affairs, she might have only received a minuscule part of his estate. She wanted it all and she wanted it now, and she didn't want it with Dr. Wilson.

[Lead Investigator]

As far as Peggy goes, investigators learn Betty was generous with her twin.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Peggy's husband was a music director with the Baptist church, and that's not a high paying job. And Peggy was a teacher.

[Expert/Analyst]

Peggy enjoyed a lavish lifestyle when she came to stay with Betty. If her sister got away with the money, that she herself would be living a high lifestyle. Also.

[Lead Investigator]

On May 27, 1992, five days after Jack Wilson's murder, authorities arrest Betty and Peggy.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Investigators interview first when police questioned Betty about her involvement. And if she paid James White to kill her husband, she automatically, instantly said, absolutely not.

[Lead Investigator]

Detectives tell Betty that her sister has turned on her. But Betty calls their bluff.

[Expert/Analyst]

One detective tells Betty, your sister rolled on you. And Betty's reaction was like, no, no, that's absolutely not true. They did the same thing to Peggy. Peggy had the same reaction as Betty did. Absolutely no way.

[Narrator]

The two women would not talk to us about it. They immediately wanted a lawyer.

[Lead Investigator]

Betty and Peggy are both charged with consideration conspiracy and capital murder. The arrests make headlines throughout the state.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

When they arrested Peggy and Betty, it was like a circus. Everybody wanted a piece of the story. The media kept Dr. Wilson's children out of the spotlight for obvious reasons.

[Lead Investigator]

Betty's trial is up first. Starting on February 23, 1993, nine months.

[Narrator]

After Jack's murder, the case was moved from Huntsville to Tuscaloosa for Betty's trial. Because there had been so much adverse publicity about the two sisters.

[Expert/Analyst]

It was like a rock concert. These people came and stood in line to get in the courtroom for the entertainment value of it.

[Lead Investigator]

The prosecution calls their star witness.

[Expert/Analyst]

The crux of their case was James White's detailed confession in which he implicated Betty and Peggy.

[Narrator]

The deal that the state made with James White was if he testified against the two sisters, that he would receive a life sentence and not receive the death penalty.

[Lead Investigator]

James admits on the stand that his memory remains fuzzy.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

He had been hired by Betty Wilson and Peggy Lowe. Betty picked him up in her car. She drove him to her house.

[Narrator]

But he said with his own testimony that he was on drugs and he was drinking heavily and he doesn't remember what happened.

[Lead Investigator]

The prosecution calls several witnesses who break down Betty's character, including her close friends.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

They said she was mean and she said things, very hateful things in front of other people. And to James, she would talk about the bag. She called it after his colostomy that he had to wear a bag the rest of his life.

[Narrator]

At least one fellow actually testified that he and Betty had a relationship. Well, Betty had the reputation of being someone that was just not a very faithful wife.

[Lead Investigator]

Betty Wilson never takes the stand in her own defense, leaving the town divided on the truth.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The jury only knew what everybody said about Betty. All there was was circumstantial evidence that they put up by people who just putting witness after witness who disliked Betty.

[Lead Investigator]

Coming up, Betty learns her fate.

[Expert/Analyst]

Some of Betty's so called friends threw her under the bus.

[Lead Investigator]

And a surprise witness throws Peggy's case into turmoil.

[Narrator]

I could tell right from the start that something else other than a bat had caused these injuries.

[Lead Investigator]

After Six days of testimony. Betty Wilson's fate rests with the jury. It takes them 10 hours to reach a verdict.

[Narrator]

The jury then deliberates for like a day or two and she's then found guilty. She got life without parole.

[Expert/Analyst]

I think that the prosecution won it on James confession and Betty's lifestyle. Some of Betty's so called friends threw her under the bus. Attorneys and prosecutors, they know how to plan the emotions of jurors. They read the room. They won the hearts and minds of the jurors.

[Lead Investigator]

Six months later, Betty's twin sister, Peggy Lowe gets her day in court in Montgomery.

[Expert/Analyst]

A jury coming in knew her sister had been convicted.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And therefore, as everyone has said, if one of them is guilty, they must both be guilty.

[Lead Investigator]

But Peggy's counsel has an advantage. Betty's lawyers didn't. A client with a sterling reputation.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Peggy Loe had all of her church friends sitting in that trial. She was loved by a community.

[Lead Investigator]

Unlike Betty, Peggy takes the stand in her own defense.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

She came through as Mrs. Clean. She was beautiful, she was sweet.

[Narrator]

And it all came through in the trial.

[Lead Investigator]

The defense claims James White's story is false and that he acted without the twins. But with the help of an unknown.

[Narrator]

Accomplice, her defense attorney, Seth James White and some other degenerate criminal found out about this wealthy woman and inquired about his work schedule and was like, we're gonna go rob him. Then he surprised them. Nick beat him in the head. I don't think they meant to kill him.

[Lead Investigator]

Chief medical examiner Chris Sperry also takes takes the stand. A key witness for the defense who did not appear at Betty's trial. He challenges the assumption that Jack was killed with a baseball bat.

[Narrator]

The nature of the injuries on his head were straight with slightly jagged edges. And those injuries would be caused by something that is kind of narrow and thin. I could tell right from the start that something else other than a bat had caused these injuries.

[Lead Investigator]

The defense presents a new theory based on pictures from the crime scene.

[Narrator]

Down on the ground floor, there was a fireplace. And you could see there was a poker that was missing that might have been used to kill him.

[Lead Investigator]

The defense also questions whether Dr. Wilson was killed where his body was found.

[Narrator]

Where Dr. Wilson was laying on the floor, there was a little bit of blood that was maybe no more than 6 or 8 inches off of the floor onto the walls, but nothing above that. And I think that he was murdered somewhere else and then he was brought up the stairs. And that would be difficult even for two people to do.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

It looked like this was the act of More than one person. The defense makes it very clear that he probably wasn't the only person at that crime scene. There were two weapons, at the very least, used to kill this man.

[Lead Investigator]

The defense alleges that robbery is the real reason why James White came to be in possession of Betty Wilson's.38 caliber revolver.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Did he steal the gun? Did he take the gun when he murdered Dr. Wilson?

[Lead Investigator]

After a week of testimony, Peggy's case goes to the jury. Just two hours later, the verdict is in.

[Expert/Analyst]

This time, this jury returns with a verdict of not guilty. She's acquitted.

[Lead Investigator]

The verdict causes almost as much of a stir as the crime itself.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

One is either walking around free and should not be, or one is sitting in prison and should be free herself. You can't have both.

[Lead Investigator]

Though the verdicts raise controversy, the true tragedy is the loss of a beloved doctor.

[Expert/Analyst]

Jack Wilson was a kind and caring man. Not all victims are. He was generous. He treated his patients with dignity and respect, no matter what their circumstances. And it's tragic all the way around that he's gone.

[Lead Investigator]

Betty Wilson was denied two appeals for a new trial by the Alabama Supreme Court. Peggy Lowe resumed her life in Alabama. James White has never been granted parole and continues to serve his life sentence. His next hearing is in 2026. Buddy Wilson remains incarcerated.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

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[Reporter/Interviewer]

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[Expert/Analyst]

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[Reporter/Interviewer]

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[Lead Investigator]

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